The present invention relates generally to medical apparatus and more particularly relates to a medical apparatus for cooling the brain of patient undergoing a medical procedure
It is well known in the medical community that brain cells are susceptible to damage and ultimately death, when subjected to temperature extremes. The body normally is capable of regulating the temperature at a safe level, such as 98.6xc2x0 Fahrenheit. However, if the body is subjected to an illness which induces extreme fever or if a medical procedure is taking place which elevates the temperature of the blood flowing in the patient, brain damage may result unless measures are taken to ensure that the brain temperature remains below 108xc2x0 Fahrenheit. For example, if a patient is undergoing microwave therapy, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,013, a patient""s body is subjected to local heating. This local heating may result in excess brain temperature unless the brain temperature is independently controlled from the region undergoing microwave heating.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cooling the brain of a patient in a rapid and controlled manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for cooling the brain of a patient in a rapid and controlled manner.
An apparatus for cooling the brain of a patient includes a housing for engagement on a neck of the patient and one or more nozzles for receiving a coolant fluid from an external coolant source and providing a directed mist of the coolant. The nozzles are mounted within the housing and are aligned such that the mist of coolant is directed to the neck of the patient.
The brain cooling apparatus can include a pump interposed between the nozzles and the external coolant.
The brain cooling apparatus can also include a brain temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the brain of the patient and a controller which is coupled to the brain temperature sensor and provides a signal to the pump to adjust the coolant discharge rate in response to a measured brain temperature. Generally, the signal from the controller directs the pump to increase the coolant discharge rate when the measured brain temperature exceeds a maximum brain temperature value and directs the pump to decrease the coolant discharge rate when the measured brain temperature is below a minimum brain temperature value.
The housing can also include a fluid discharge port to establish fluid communication with a fluid collection vessel.
A method for cooling the brain of a patient includes the steps of directing a fluid mist discharge onto the neck of a patient, measuring the temperature of the brain, and altering the fluid mist discharge in response to the measured brain temperature to maintain a desired brain temperature. The altering step can increase a discharge rate of the fluid mist if the measured brain temperature exceeds a maximum brain temperature value and decrease the discharge rate of the fluid mist if the measured brain temperature is below a minimum brain temperature value.